Melodic Structure, Harmony and Texture

Let the sounds of music creep in our ears:
soft stillness and the night become the touches of sweet harmony.
—William Shakespeare

The Elements of Music, part 3
Melodic Structure, Harmony and Texture
Over a five-lecture sequence, we are exploring the elements of music - music broken down into its individual component parts : Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Texture, Timbre and Form.
This lecture (Lecture 3) examines melodic structure, harmony and texture.

Topics covered:

the structure of a melody
what is harmony?
texture: the horizontal collides with the vertical
3 textures:
monophony
homophony
polyphony

Objectives: learn to distinguish styles from one era to another

hearing structure in melody
hearing multiple notes in harmony
distinguishing textures:
monophony, homophony or polyphony?

Assignments:

watch lecture 3 (in multiple parts for quicker download)
review previous chapters, if necessary
read textbook, Chapters 3-4
regarding developing listening skills: you should be in the habit of developing your listening skills early in the game - the assignments will get more complex through the semester and you may find yourself unable to keep up. As simple as these early assignments may seem to some of you, they will help to keep you on the right track, and help you develop the skills required for a greater appreciation in listening to music, including the music that you listen to for your own enjoyment. Of course, those objectives are in total sync with the success you hope to have in this class. Remember that your ability to recognize the music on your CDs will be tested and will, of course, impact your grade.

Lecture 3.1

Melodic structure and harmony

Lecture 3.2

Harmony and phrase structure

Lecture 3.3

Harmonic progressions

Supplemental Video: What is Texture?

Lecture 3.4

Musical Texture